Industrial application

L’application industrielle constitue une condition de brevetabilité de l’invention qui exige que son objet puisse être fabriqué ou utilisé dans tout genre d’industrie, y compris l’agriculture.

The industrial application requirement in patent law dates back to the early 19th century, and was first introduced in France in 1791, with the Le Chapelier law. This law stipulated that to obtain a patent, the invention had to be "useful" and "susceptible of application in industry".

Over time, the industrial applicability requirement has been adopted by other countries, notably the UK, the USA and Germany. It has become a fundamental requirement for obtaining a patent in many legal systems, including international agreements such as the TRIPS Agreement.